Biography

Jah Mason was born in Jamaica's Manchester Parish, and grew up in a Christian family.[1][2] During his childhood, he was nicknamed Perry Mason for his ability to resolve disputes, and it was under this name that his debut single "Selassie I Call We" was released in 1991 on Junior Reid's JR record label.[1] In 1995 he joined the Bobo Ashanti order of the Rastafari movement, and began performing and recording as Jah Mason after linking up with the David House group.[1][2] He had hits in Jamaica with "My Princess Gone" and "Lion Look", and also made guest appearances on singles by his friend Jah Cure.[1] His first albums came in 2002 with Keep Your Joy and Working So Hard. Since then he has released albums at a rate of more than one a year, including Wheat and Tears and Princess Gone...The Saga Bed, both released in 2006 on Greensleeves Records and VP Records respectively, and the latter distributed by Warners.[3] The Jamaica Gleaner, reviewing Wheat and Tears, commented on a lack of originality in Jah Mason's work but went on to say "cliche;s notwithstanding, the album is musical, and for hardcore reggae fans, the disc should provide enough of a vibe to chill with."[4] David Jeffries of Allmusic described him as "an effortlessly agile artist able to communicate love, pathos, revolution, spirituality, and even sensuality on equal terms."[3]

The song Mi Chalwa, recorded and mixed by Soundism'sVladi Vargas, was included on Greensleeves' compilation album The Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems 2005, which Jamaica Observer gave accolades and called a "must-have collection".[5]